France’s prison system is grappling with unprecedented overcrowding, according to the latest figures released by the Justice Ministry.
In total, 80,130 detainees are currently housed in facilities designed for just 62,357 individuals, with a dozen prisons operating at double their official capacity.
This situation is particularly critical in remand centres, where the number of people awaiting trial has surged, leading to a dangerous overcrowding rate of 155.1 percent.
The overcrowding crisis has left around 4,000 inmates sleeping on mattresses on the floor, further compounding the problem of deteriorating conditions.
Jean-Claude Mas, president of the International Prison Observatory, expressed alarm over the situation, telling Radio France Internationale (RFI), “Three to four people are now crammed into 9m² cells that are meant for only one person.”
He added that such overcrowding exacerbates the already dilapidated state of the facilities and contributes to unsanitary conditions.
This surge in prison numbers is not a recent development but rather a trend that has been steadily escalating over the past two years. Despite promises by the government to tackle the issue, the planned increase in prison capacity remains far from fulfilled.
In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron vowed to create additional prison spaces as part of a broader overhaul of the penal system.
The plan aimed to build 15,000 new places by 2027, but the latest revelations indicate that only 6,421 of these spaces may be operational by that time.
Justice Minister Didier Migaud admitted that construction delays have pushed the completion date of the full plan to 2029 at the earliest.
The government’s failure to meet its goals has triggered widespread criticism. A Justice Ministry source acknowledged that the situation represents “an all-time record” in terms of overcrowding, with little hope of an immediate solution.
In an effort to alleviate pressure on the prison system, judges have been instructed to avoid sentencing individuals to prison terms shorter than one month, and the use of community service orders has been encouraged as an alternative to incarceration.
Despite these measures, the Justice Ministry continues to consider other possible solutions, such as repurposing former prisons or emulating systems in countries like Belgium and Germany, where prefabricated blocks have been constructed to quickly increase capacity.
Minister Migaud emphasized that while prisons are necessary for punishing and protecting society, they must operate in conditions that are safe for staff and dignified for inmates.
He stressed that, in order to address overcrowding, the government must explore alternatives to incarceration, particularly for those convicted of less serious offenses.
The crisis has sparked a renewed call for reform. At the end of October, the International Prison Observatory, along with 30 other organizations including the French lawyers’ union and the magistrates’ union, issued a joint statement demanding a fundamental overhaul of the penal system.
The statement called for reducing both the use and duration of incarceration, urging that alternatives to prison should be prioritized over confinement.
Mas, who has been vocal about the issue, criticized the government’s lack of progress, stating, “For two years now, we have seen record after record levels of overcrowding, and there is no sign of progress. Instead, there is a growing focus on repressive measures that only worsen the situation.”
As France struggles to find viable solutions, the overcrowding crisis continues to raise serious questions about the state of its prison system and the effectiveness of its penal policies.
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